China pushes for a new ‘Asian alliance’ as it signs deals with Asean, Gulf states
China is already deepening ties with Southeast Asia and Middle East, and may even be paving way for a powerful new ‘Asian Union’, analysts say
China is pushing to forge a powerful new economic bloc with countries across Southeast Asia and the Middle East to counteract rising US protectionism, with some analysts suggesting a prototype for an “Asian Union” may be taking shape.
Premier Li Qiang attended the opening of a new forum bringing together leaders from China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, where he remarked that the current global tensions offered an opportunity to bring the three sides closer together.
“Facing escalating geopolitical conflicts and confrontations, we can create long-term strategic opportunities by deepening mutual trust and strengthening solidarity,” Li said at the opening ceremony of the Asean-China-GCC Economic Forum held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
Earlier the same day, the three parties also held a summit where they signed a joint statement pledging to cooperate more closely on trade, supply chains, infrastructure and finance.
Asean comprises 10 nations from across Southeast Asia, while the GCC includes six Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf – namely, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“These three parties make up a quarter of the world’s people and economy but only 5 per cent of global trade – showing huge potential for expansion,” Li said during his speech.
The new summit has the potential to create a new paradigm for multilateral collaboration in Asia, putting China in a stronger position to withstand US trade pressure, said Wang Huiyao, the founder and president of the Center for China and Globalization think tank in Beijing.